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krwordgazer wrote: Seeing a spirit or ghost A warm moment within a family Lots and lots of snow A chief's failure Something transparent, gauzy, translucent, or see-through A child's toy or something a child plays with Blind. He might as well have been blind. He could see nothing around him but the white of the constant snowfall. Nothing stood out. No landmarks. Nothing. Even the tree line seemed to have blended in with the horizon in every direction. He looked behind him to see where he had walked – but the snow had already filled in his footsteps, as if he had fallen from the sky onto this very spot. There was no evidence of where he had come from, where he had gone; and certainly no indication of where he was going. For all intents and purposes, the elf known as Shadow was completely lost. He had left the holt because their food supply had run low – and the cubs were in desperate need of food. But he had managed to find nothing in this snow – and it was impossible to track anything. Any tracks left were rapidly covered by the constant snowfall. His nose felt as if it were frozen, so he could capture no scents. He could feel his body aching. His limbs were growing more and more difficult to move. High Ones, he thought. I am going to die out here. He considered briefly sending to the others – but they’d never be able to find him. It was pointless. And there was no need jeopardizing the life of any of his tribe – with a futile attempt to save him. Their numbers were small enough already. His legs eventually gave out, and Shadow collapsed forward. The cold, fresh snow he landed upon did not sting his already frozen face. He laid there for a moment, thinking of his tribe. Eventually, as he felt his body freezing, his thoughts drifted to his young sister Purespring who had died at the hands of the humans; and his best friend, Wildthorn, who also died due to humans; and he thought about how he would be rejoining them soon. “Don’t be silly,” a voice said. Shadow was barely able to lift his head; only because he could not believe who he had heard speaking to him. “Purespring?” He said, looking through the haze of the snow. A ghostly, transparent visage of Purespring was standing in front of him. “Don’t be silly,” she smiled warmly. “It’s not your time yet.” “I can’t find my way home,” Shadow stammered through frozen lips. “Then follow me,” she said, skipping into the horizon. “Wait!” Shadow reached out – not because he had wanted to follow her; his body refused to move; but because he had wanted her to stay. But like always, she did not listen. Shadow pushed himself off the ground and began wobbling in the direction he had seen Purespring head towards. She left no footprints – but then, looking back, each step he took – the last one vanished beneath the following snow. He hobbled for a few more steps, before he called out, “Where are you?” There was no answer. But then he noticed something. A trinket. Sticking out of the snow. He bent over and picked it up. It had been a small gift that the, then young troll, Trollforge, had made for Purespring, when she was but a young cub. He had never understood the troll’s fascination with his young sister – even now. Shadow took a few more steps, clinging to the trinket tightly – before he collapsed forward once more. “I tried,” he whispered to no one, before slipping into the blackness. It was there – in the shadows of pitch black, seemingly – that a light appeared. He stepped forward, and there was Purespring and Wildthorn. He smiled, and sat next to them. They embraced one another tightly. “It’s good to see you, my soul brother,” Shadow said, extending his hand. “As it is to see you,” Wildthorn returned. “Look,” he said, “I apologize for my foolishness. I see now you were right. We needed to stop this fighting with the humans. I was blind with rage…” “And I can not fault you,” Shadow said. He looked at Purespring, then back to his former chief, “You did what your heart told you – and it’s never wrong to follow the heart.” “You have to know when heart and mind should decide your actions,” Wildthorn countered. “I should have used my mind to control my heart.” “It is in the past,” Shadow said. “I only wish that I could have found more food for the tribe… I fear I have failed them.” “You never failed them,” Purespring said, with a warm smile. They spent what seemed to be hours together, recalling fond memories together, before Shadow asked the question that had been on his mind. “Am I dead?” “Not yet,” came a surprising voice. Shadow opened his eyes. The scenery had changed. It was warm. He looked around and saw Trollforge, the troll. He took a quick glance at his surroundings and realized he was in the troll cave – a burning, contained fire was next to him, and warm furs covered his body. “But you gave it a good ol’ try,” Trollforge continued. “I’m alive?” Shadow sat up. “Yes,” Trollforge smiled. “How did you find me?” Shadow asked. “How did I find you? You collapsed on our front door,” Trollforge replied. “The troll at the door heard some talking and laughing – opened the door – and found you leaned against it. Brought you in and to me. Recognized you as Purespring’s brother.” “Were there others with me?” Shadow asked. “Who was I talking to?” “As far as the troll could tell, no one,” Trollforge answered. “But from what I heard – you were talking to your sister and your former chief.” Trollforge paused. “I do have to ask. Where did you get this?” He held up the trinket that he had made for Purespring so many seasons long past. “It was in the snow,” Shadow answered. “I don’t know how it got there. I haven’t seen that in so many years… I know she kept everything you gave her.” “She kept everything?” Trollforge asked, his voice lowering. “She did,” Shadow answered. “So that’s why I can’t imagine how it got out of her den… everything she had… I have kept… untouched…” “This was the first gift I ever gave her, when she was but a cub,” Trollforge said, admiring it before handing it back to Shadow. “I have never figured out your interest in my sister,” Shadow said. Trollforge placed his large hand on Shadow’s chest. “A tale for another time, chief. For now, I believe we have a delivery to make.” “Delivery?” Shadow asked. Trollforge opened several bags that contained fruits, meats, and vegetables. “For your tribe.” “How did you know?” Shadow asked, curious. “You were not the only one, it seems, who got a visit from your sister,” Trollforge replied. “I awoke from a dream of her, telling me you would be coming, and asking for food. I just didn’t think you’d be coming, nearly frozen. And as you know,” he looked away, and sealed the bag, “there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for your sister. Alive, or dead, it would seem.” “We would freeze before we made it back to the holt,” Shadow said. Trollforge slung the largest bag of food over his shoulder. “That’s why we take the caves. One of our exits is not more than a stone’s throw away from your holt.” “How can I ever thank you?” Shadow asked. “By telling me she has kept all the things I have made her,” Trollforge said, keeping his face hidden from Shadow, as tears streaked down his dirty features, “you have paid me back more than you could possibly know. Now lets go, before the rest of your holt goes out looking for you.”